Points of Interest when on Manhattan Hop on/Hop off Tours

There are several original American songs that describe New York as the city of dreams; and most of the tourists that have ever found their way to the World City would agree. The grand region offers a unique balance between a big city atmosphere and a nature reserve with numerous parks scattered about the borroughs.

Once you arrive, one of the best ways to see the sights that the Big Apple has to offer is via the Manhattan hop on hop off tours. It’s a hassle-free adventure, in which you leave the transportation to the experts, using the optimal medium that seats you high above the bustling streets below and takes you to every popular spot with knowledgeable tour guides providing you with all the details you might not know. Speaking of which, what are these tourists spots that everyone raves about?

The High Line Park in Manhattan

At about a mile-and-a-half long, this elevated urban park hosts around five million tourists every single year. The underlying structure is now a defunct railroad, which was put to good use in 1934 when the first plants, trees and park benches were erected on the modern-day marvel. The decidedly green man-made High Line boasts exceptionally hardy shrubs and offers a relaxing place for a stroll during opening hours. It’s definitely a place to take pictures.

Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan

This expansive plaza harbors a multitude of buildings over an impressive 3-4 city blocks in New York City. Famous for its distinctly art deco appearance, you’ve likely seen the matchless Christmas exhibit on television as the final holiday of the year rolls around. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more festive place, awash in the burning lights of Christmas trees.

The Rockefeller Center is one of the most family-friendly places in New York, and you’ll notice this in the persistent crowds that pervade the place at all hours. It’s definitely a landmark of the caliber of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty – or at least, a notch just below.

Times Square

This just may be the quintessential tourist destination for urbanites. If you love the bright lights and modernity of city life, then Times Square may be the most famous representation of these attributes. It’s bounded by Broadway and the famous 7th Avenue, and boasts the world’s most famous New Year’s Eve celebration when a huge, brightly-lit ball ascends up the rafters and rings in first day of the next 365.

The tourist attractions are virtually endless, and transition smoothly into other parts of Midtown Manhattan. In Times Square, itself, you can visit Madame Tussauds New York, the Museum of Modern Art, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and many other places you’ve heard about.

The Empire State Building

A marvel of human architectural ability and one of the most recognizable skyscrapers in the world, the Empire State Building is as synonymous with New York as the Statue of Liberty. The 102 stories of Art Deco style is actually one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, and is a must-see for any tourist to the city.

If you want to travel up the interminable stories, make sure to book your ticket early – the lines can be brutal. It is, perhaps fittingly, right in the center of Midtown Manhattan, so there’s no way to miss it while on a tour bus or walking about the crowded streets.

Central Park

At nearly 850 acres, Manhattan’s Central Park is a huge slice of the manicured green in the middle of a city. Although well-kept, it retains its rural allure with hundreds of different species of birds and the lovely cascade of colors that only autumn can bring. It harbors many attractions for human activity; whether you just want to lay on the endless green grass and have a picnic, or take the kids to Tisch Children’s Zoo, or opt for a boat ride on the lake. Central Park remains so clean and inviting because of the $65 million annual budget wielded by the Central Park Conservancy.

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